In May of 2004, I worked with David
Fukumoto on the initial design of this Ficus microcarpa from
the Mid-Pacific Bonsai Foundation's Hawaii State Bonsai Repository.

The sequence below shows the tree
after 5 months of unrestrained growth at the Fuku-Bnsai nursery
in Hilo. During this time the tree was allowed to grow wildly.
The new foliage allowed the tree to recover from its drastic
initial styling and to replace much needed energy reserves.

The
tree has regrown new foliage, front view.

Back of the fig.

The tree has grown lots of new foliage
and recovered its strengh. Branches are pruned back to reveal
the basic structure. The tree is repotted to give it strength
for its new growth.

Roughly trimmed
and repotted, front view.

Ficus from the
back view.

Ficus from the
left side view.

Ficus from the
right side view.

The tree has recovered from its initial
drastic shaping and grown new branches, the next step is to select
branches to create a new apex and to form the key structural
branches. As shown below the plan is to allow the tree to grow
a new apex and strengthen the right growing branches. At the
same time any branches on the left side will be removed. This
process will also involve trimming and wiring any useful branches
to their new “correct” positions.

Left heavy branch
to be removed.

Map for the future
regrowth of the tree.

Although there are infinite numbers
of potential ways to shape the tree, the last picture is a computer
virtual image of one possible design for the tree. To see more
possible futures for “MAHALO” click
here.